Dump car construction



May 3 1932. G. a. DOREY DUMP CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 23, 1930 64 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 ml hm Ww f r .0 J .r F R H M Q on mm m 1% w W, I, l1 1 Gm W E 1 o m 0 6 1 \Q.

y 31, 1932- G. B. DOREY DUMP CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 23, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE B. DOBEY, 02F EVMTQ'N, ILLINOIS ASSIGNOR TO ENTERPRISE MILWAYf DUMP CAB CONSTRUCTION Application filed August 23, 1930. Serial No. 477,270.

My invention relates to improvements in ear censtrudiom An object or my invention is to provide a.

eliseherge elem one so-operating means en tire door and ear seructnre for obtaining tightly elosel doors,

Another object of m invention is to roride a discharge door eving a: simple oor latching meohanism earri'eel thereby, whereby 'iu the door may be manually swung to a nearly dosed positron we automatically retained in sueh position.

another oln eet of; my invention is the of a. dloor latching device which will is operaee to exert a lifting and a; wedging eetion on a discharge door to move the some from a: nearly closed to m folly closedposition by operation of said devi'ee.

Sti l! another obieefi of my invention is to a cast metal eloor having integral portions formed therein cooperating with infiegral ribs mid rem-foroemen-tsto aeoommodst'e latching means whereby the number of 6001' and deer latching parts may be reduced.

Another rtieular object of the invention ie to pr alatching eleviee incorporating e bodily movable shaft having projectin portions od apeerl to cooperate with shoe dared means on the car strnetnre, and being so mounted as to be moved by rotation thereof, my elrjeot being further to provide means for cmitmll ing the movement of the shaft to increase the leverage towards the end of the Pa'Qehi-ng operation.

My invention further resiries in certain other features 0! construction end gleteil of ports snob as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and claimed.

For further emprehension of my invention, referencemey be had to the accompanywings, Wlierein,-

in (In igure 1 is a vertical transverse seetional view taken thro h the lower portion of a. hop er m and s owing slightlv more than one-half width thereof;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sicle sectional view on line 2;? of Fig. I;

Fig: 3 is a longitudinal vertical elevation of that part of the stru etm'o illustrated in Fig. t is a longitudinal vertical elevational view similar to Fig. 8 with the door latching sh-ai't in section, said view illustrating the door in a nearly closed position;

Fig.- 5 is a longituglinel vertical elevetional as view similar to Fig. 3, said view illustrating the door in a partly closed! position with the latching shaft in retaining engagement with an auxiliary shoulder on the door retaining bracket Fig. 6 isen enlarged ole-tell view of theegr end of the outer shouldered latching mem- Fig; 7 is an enlarged cleteil view of the inner shouldered member as viewed in Fig. 6' '55 Fig. 8 is a view illustrating a modified form of door;

Fig, 9 is a side elevation of the door illustrsted in Fig; 8 as viewed from right to lefit.

Referring first to the construction illusvo tre't'ed in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, wherein my improvements are shown as applied to a air of the soca;lled W-hopp'er type having a door hinged adjacent its upper portion and mounted for vertical swinging movement; We

In said drawings, 11G) denotes one of" the side walls of the car, 11 the lower ehord of the car side, 12 one of the beam sections'employed to make up the girder center sill of well known form. The center sill strueture eo is built up by the enip-13oyment of two of these center sill sections" united by s top cover piste 1'3 and heaving a SlH'IIlOllIltl-llg' ridge M of A- sliepe. As customary in the W-type 0-1! ear,

a. transversely extending ridge is formed by so theridge sheet 135 which constitutes the upper wall of a hopper, it being understood there are a plurality of hoppers in the car, two on each sideof the center sill and arranged in pairs transversely of the ear. Inasmuch as the construction is'the same for each" hopper, the deseription herein will be confined to only one of such hoppers.

Each of saitl hoppersis defined by a lon-gitnd in-a-l-ly sloping hopper sheet 16, 22 vertical inner side hopper sheet E7,- and an outside hopper sheet l8, the latter'slopin inwarfly towarosthe longidsndinal eenter ineof the car and: having its margin 19 hent outwardly as shown, and then substantially in the: gem' eral direction of the main plate as indicated at 20, to present a Z-shape section, said bend 19 providing an abutment for the door. The inner side hopper sheet 17 is secured to the side of the center sill and deflected at an angle beyond the outstanding marginal flange 112 of the center sill and thence downwardly to provide a substantially vertical depending portion 21 having its margin formed with an inwardly directed sloping portion 22, said portion 22 being flanged outwardly at 23, and thence in the general direction of the plate, as at 24. The portion 23 thus provides an abutment for the door, and the portion 24 a shoulder adjacent the abutment.

The outer edge of the bottom sloping hopper 16 is rigidified by amember A which is preferably formed of cast metal and includes a main portion extending along the edge of the sheet as indicated at 25, Fig. 7, and an upwardly extending portion at each end indicated at 26 and 27 respectively. These upw'ardly extending portions overlie the inner and outer hopper sheets respectively and are secured thereto. The member A is preferably formed with an outstanding portion 28 of heavier section than the main portion and constitutes an abutment for the door, said abutment being in substantially the same line as and forming a continuation of the abutments on the respective inner and outer side hopper sheets, thus forming a substantially continuous abutting surface for the three unsuppdrted door edges. The member A ad acent the abutment 28 is formed with a heavy depending portion of bulb-like formation 29, forming a shoulder adjacent to the ledge 28. The member A adjacent the body portion is formed with an inte ral depending flange 30 disposed snbstantialfy normal to the plane of the sloping floor and acting as a reinforcement for the same.

Adjacent the edge of the upper sloping floor formed by the ridge sheets, the sheet is reinforced by a member B preferably formed of cast metal with angularly related flanges, one of said flan es 31 being secured to the sheet and the ot er of said flanges 32 outstanding therefrom. The member B is provided with a wall portion 33 at its inner end, which is attached to the center sill, and at its outer end said member is provided with an integral flange portion 34 disposed in overlying relation to the outer side hopper sheet 18. The outer hopper sheet 18 is rigidified by an additional plate member C which extends contiguously with the marginal abutment 19 of the plate. and is sandwiched between the hopper sheet and the respective overlying flanges 27 and 34 of said members A and B. Outstanding from the depending flange 32 of the member B are two hinge lugs 35 each adapted to receive a hinge pin 36 whereby a discharge door D is pivotally mounted in position.

The discharge door D preferably formed of cast metal with outwardly extending flanges at its margin, so as to provide a top horizontally extending flange 37 preferably of arcuate formation, inner and outer side flanges 38, and a lower flange 39 adjacent the free edge of the door, said res 'ective lflanges 37, 38 and 39 co-operating to orm a continuous reinforcement around the edge of the door. and integrally uniting said inner and' outer side flanges 38, are a pair of depending reinforcing flanges 40 and 41 respectively disposed adjacent the hinge edge of the door and the outer edge thereof, but spaced an appreciable distance from said edges.

Integrally connecting said respective flanges 40 and 41 are a plurality of integral flanges indicated at 42, 43, and 44. Substantially in alignment with the central rib-43 are ribs 45 adapted to continue the plane of the rib 43 to the respective inner and outer edges of the door. The door D is pivotally mounted by integral lugs 46 to the respective hinge bracket portions 35. Extending between the outer flange 39 and the flange 41 are a plurality of pairs of integrally formed spaced lugs 47 adapted to co-operate with a portion of the latching mechanism in a manner as will be fully pointed out here-. inafter. The door latching mechanism broadly includes a bodily movable shaft 48 loosely mounted to have bodily movement along the outer face of the door, and spaced apprecia bly from the main body of the door to clear the side flanges and other integral door bracing. The inner and outer side flan es 38am provided with transversely widened portions 49 and 50 respectively, which extend throughout the extent of movement of the shaftand constitute abutment runways for the shaft. The shaft 48 projects beyond the respective ends of the doors and beyond the inner and outer side walls 17 and 18 and cooperates with inner and outer shouldered brackets F and G, respectively mounted on the inner and outer hopper sheets.

Rigidly mounted on the shaft and inalignment with spaced lugs 47 on the door are "hub. members 51, each including a sleeveportion 52 rigidly united with the shaft by means of rivets 53. Each hub member 51 includes a pair of spaced arms 54 disposed in alignment with the lugs 47 on the door, the space be. tween said arms 54 being substantially equal to that between the pair of lugs 47, and" interposed between said arms 54 on the hub and lugs 47 on the door is a link member 55. The link is pivoted at one end to the: hub by a pivot 56 disposed at an appreciable distance from the axis of the shaft, and the opposite end of the link is pivoted between the lugs 47'and by a pivot 57.

Disposed outwardly of the shaft adjacent Extending across the door, bet-ween 'the'respeciive edges of the door are strep members 58 and 59, which form guides to prevent outward movement of theshaft, and

depending flange 41 by a. rivet 60. Adjacent the upper limit of travel of the shaft said guide is bent inwardly to present a wall portion 61 riveted art 62 to the outer fame of the door plate. The outer guide member" 59 is attached to the rib 4:1 in a similar manner and is extended upwardly beyond the limit of movement of the shaft and fastened to the main body of the door by a rivet 63, guide 59 is spaced from the door by a boss 64 formed integrally with the door and outstanding therefrom, said boss member having a portion adapted to present asup-porting pivot for a swingingly mounted cam 66: cam

adapted to be swung in the path of movement of the shaft to retain the latter in latching position.

Reerwardily of the cam, the boss 64 is formed with a. portion 67 of enlarged diaimeter adapted to present a wall 68 adapted to limit inward movement of said cam. The boss 64 being inthe path of the rib 42 is virtually an enlargement of the latter. l he cam 66 is formed with a projecting lug portion 69 constituting a pry-oiiportion, and on the opposite side thereof is formed with a stop lug 70 adapted to contact with the side flange of the door to limit the throw of the com.

The shaft 48 is preferably formed adjacent its outer end with a yoke comprising a pair of spaced jaws 71 adapted to receive therebetween a suitable'bar or ope-rating tool for the purpose of actuating the shaft by rotation thereof. 7

The shouldered brackets F and G- which engage with the projecting portions of the shaft are disposed in overlying relation with the respective upturned portions 26 and 27 of the lower marginal reinforcing and sealing member A, and also extended upwardly above the same to permit attachment to the side hopper sheets independently of the memher A. Each of said brackets includes a main locking shoulder 72,16 and 7', with which the projecting portionof the shuit is adapted to co-operate when in; its normal locking position, it being understood that the shaft is so disposed on the: door as to gravitate to its normal locking position due tonits own weight. Inorder to lift said shaft a suflicient distance to allow the same to drop into engaging position behind the shoulders T2,

each bracket is provided with inclined portious 13 which constitute a bevelled approach to said shoulders, said bevelled portions lieiaag adapted toengage beneath and li it the shaft as the dmr is slammed towardsclosed position.

The relation of the shaft and associated pivotal points between the shaft and the link and between the link 55 with the door is such as to provide for rolling movement of the shat-t along the faces of the outer abutment walls during; initial displacement of the shaft from its normally latched position, thus providing for ready upward displacement of the shaft as it engages with the beveled portionsof the brackets. With the latching device in the normally latched position, the intermediate portion of the link 55 rests against the shaft acting to limit further turning movement of the shaft. said intermediate portion of the link being concaved as indicated at 155 to accommodate the shaft. It will be noted that as the shaft moves downwardly towards the final locked position the axis of the shaft gradually approaches a center line passing through the respective pivots 56 and 57, thereby efieeting e'toggle leverage for foreing'the shaft to final H latched position. However, due to the fact that the axis of the shaft is not permitted to pass said center line to complete a toggle with respect to pivots 56 and 5 the shaft is in a position which admits of ready displacement when a lifting" force is exerted thereon.

The outer shouldered bracket G is provided with en'auxizlisry shoulder 74, Fig. 6, disposed slightly beyond the main shoulder T2 and connected'therewith by aninclined in wall 75, said shoulder 74 being of a, character to engage the shaft and hold the door in a nearly closed position as the door is urged towards closed position, as shown in Fig. 4. It will be appreciated that in swinging the door towards closing position the operator would normally apply force at a point adjacent the outer edge corner of the door with the result that the inner edge of the door will log due tothe fact that the unsupported weight of the door at the end remote from the point of application of the force causes the door to spring slightly. Hence, in order to provide for this condition, the inner shouldered bracket F if formed with an inclined well section 76 connecting the bevelled approach and the main shoulder, whereby the shaft may count with said inclined wall section as indicated by dotted lines at 77 in Fig. 7, and hence, when;

the shaft is rotated iii a closing direction, it will cause a lifting movement to be exerted on the door to raise the inner legging end of the door towards closed position. The outer end of the door in the meanwhile is retained in its: nearly closed position by rea son of the holding action of auxiliary ledge 74;, the relative position between the shaft and shoulders being indicated in Figs. 6

and 7, wherein the shaft is indicated in paritly closed position at 78 and fully closed at 9.

Intermediate the bracket F and the overlying wall 30 the reinforcing plate member G is formed with an outwardly flared portion 80 adapted to act as a reinforcement for the plate and also as a protection for the outwardly formed abutting portion 19 on the said well. Said plate may also be flanged at its opposite edge as indicated at 81 for re inforcement purposes. In hopper cars of this character there is a tendency for the load to pack and freeze during severe weather conditions, which fact results in the outer side plate being hammered to free the load, and it has been a common practice to incorporate a striking plate and door marginal abutment in a unitary member, a construction which renders the door and marginal abutment liable to distortion, tending to cause leakage. My improved construction decreases the liability by mounting the striking and reinforcin plate C in close proximity to but indepen ently of the door abutment and providing the outstanding flange 80 in protecting relation to said abutment.

The arrangement of the hopper construction with the side walls flanged to provide abutments for the doors and tied at the top and bottom with sturdy members extending from side to side of the hopper, in combination with the heavy flanged cast metal door, and powerfully acting wedging means to force the door in tight engagement with the hopper abutments all around the door, provide for a construction secure against leakage. In the mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9 my improvements are shown as applied to a door structure having upwardly turned flanges. In this construction the door has a shaft L loosely mounted thereon and having end portions projecting beyond the sides of the door for co-operation with retaining means on the car, said shaft having a pair of crank members M fixedly united therewith. Connecting the shaft and door are the two link members N, and pivotally mounted on the door to restrain movement of the shaft is a cam member P. The door proper includes a body portion 200 having upturned integral reinforcing marginal flanges indicated at 201, 202 and 203 respectively. The door on its under side is reinforced by a series of integral ribs 204, 205 and 206 extending across the door from side edge to side edge. Extending transversely of said last named ribs are other ribs 207, 208, 209, 210 and 211. Adjacent each side edge of the door there are prbvided integral portions 212 and 213 constituting runways for the shaft L, and on the outer sides of said runways are overlying wall members 214 and 215 respectively adapted to form outerguides to prevent outward movement of the shaft. A portion of the wall 214 is cut away in Fig. 8 to reveal the wall 212. Mounted between wall 215 and a boss 216 on the door is the cam member P. The integral portion 213 and wall 215 are united by a web 217 which limits movement of the cam P to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8. The upper end of each link member is extended between a pair of arms 218 formed on the crank member M and pivotally mounted therein by a pivot 219. The lower opposite end of the link is extended between a pair of walls formed by the lugs 220 integral with the door, and pivotally united to said walls by a pivot 221.

The outer end of the shaft is formed with a pair of spaced projections 222 formin a yoke to accommodate a removable operating bar therebetween. The door adjacent its upper portion is formed with a lurality of integral hinge lugs 223, where y the door is pivotally supported on the car.

I claim 1. In a railway car, the combination of a door movably mounted and adapted to be latched in fixed relation to a retaining bracket mounted independently of the door, said bracket having a shoulder and a beveled a proach leading thereto, a bodily movable latch member adapted to assume a normally locked position and having a projecting portion adapted to on age with the beveled approach of the brac et to displace said latch from its normall locked position, said latch member being ad apted to be moved by rotation thereof, inner and outer guide walls between which said latch member is mounted, and means for controlling movement of the latch member on rotation thereof, said means including a link pivoted to the latching memher and to means disposed in fixed relation to the door, the pivotal points of said link being disposed in such relation to the guides and latch member as to provide substantially for a rolling contact between the latching member and the said guide walls during initial displacement of the latch member from its normally latched position.

2. In a railway car, the combination of the car body and a dumping door. shouldered means carried by the body of the car adjacent each side edge of the door, movably mounted means carried by the door and having projecting portions adapted to engage with the shouldered means at the respective side edges of the doors, a link member connecting said means with the door, said door embodying in an integral unit, hinge brackets for pivotally supporting the door on the car body, abutments for the latching members, 51nd: lugs adapted to receive one end of the 3. In a railway car, having a hopper section including side walls, the combination of a dumping door hinged adjacent its upper margin and movable to a closed position into en agement with the side walls; shouldered loc ing brackets carried by the respective side walls, a latchin member carried by the door and having pro ecting portions extending beyond the edges of the door for cooperating engagement with the shouldered brackets,

ides within which the latching member is adapted to move, a rigid arm member outstanding from the latching member, a link pivoted to said arm and to the door, said latching member being mounted to gravitate to normal latching position, means associated with the shouldered brackets for causing automatic engagement between the latching member and the shouldered members as the door is moved to closed position.

4. In a railway car door of the type having a latching member movably mounted on the door and movable therewith and being united with the door by link means, the combination of a door embodying a main body section and integral reinforcing rib means extending from side to side of the door, supplementary rib means extending between and integrally united with said first named rib means, integral abutment means for the latching member, and integral receiving means for one end of the link.

5. In a railwa car, an integral door unit comprising a ho y section, a plurality of reinforcing rib means extending from side to side of the door, supplementary rib means extending at an angle to and connecting said main ribs, abutment means for a movable door latching device, and bracket means presenting a retaining means for one end of a connectlon between the door and latching means.

6. A railway car door adapted to be pivotally mounted and having a main body section and hinge lugs formed integrally therewith adjacent one end of the body section, said door being reinforced by integral depending ribs extending in the general direction of the hinge axis and disposed adjacent the hinge and outer edges of the door, other integral ribs extending at an angle to and between said first named ribs, door latching means movably mounted between said first named ribs and across the plane of said second named ribs and integral abutments on the door adapted to present bearings for said latching means.

7. A railway car door adapted to be pivotally mounted adjacent one end and provided with movable latching means adjacent the opposite end, said latching means extending substantially parallel with the hinge axis of the door, said door on its outer side being formed with integral rigidifying ribs extending contiguously with the latching means and disposed on opposite sides of the path of travel thereof, and other integral ribs extending between and connecting said first named ribs.

8. A railway car door adapted to be pivotally mounted adjacent one end and provided adjacent its opposite end with movable latching means carried by the door and movable therewith, integral reinforcing means formed on the door and extending contiguously with said latching means; means for controlling movement of the latching means relatively to the reinforcing means, said means includin nected with the late ing means and to the door, and integral bracket means outstanding from said rib means on the door for receiving one end of the link.

9. In a car having a discharge opening and a pivoted door, the combinatlon of bracket members mounted on fixed portions of the car at the side edges of the door, a latching element mounted for bodily and rotatable movement on the door and having portions extended beyond the sides of the door for co-operable engagement with the brackets, integral means outstanding from the main body of the door adapted to form seating means for the latching element, and a link connection between the latching element and the door, said link being pivotally mounted on an integral portion of the door.

10. In a railway car door of the cast metal type having integral reinforcing sections outstanding from the door on the under side thereof, a door latching element movably associated with said integral reinforcing means, means for controlling movement of the latching element including a link pivotally connected to the latching element and to the door, said door having integral lug means for receiving one end of the link.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of August, 1930.

GEORGE B. DOREY.

a link pivotally con- 

